Accordion shoulder plate



Jan. 5, 1954 w. KOPA ACCORDION SHOULDER PLATE Filed Oct. 1, 1952 INVENTOR w .my

fl-iZL Fig.6. so 2 56 as 28 Fi .3. SL 134 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ACCORDION SHOULDER PLATE Walter Kopa, New York, N. Y. Application October 1, 1952, Serial No. 312,489

Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to accordions, and more specifically to anew and improved attachment for laterally supporting an accordion while playing and for properly spacing it from a players chest at his shoulder.

One object of the present invention is the provision of an attachment of the character described which can be secured easily to the keyboard of an accordion and which will support the accordion laterally, so that the accordion keyboard is always in the same position and does not follow the movements of the bellows, thus greatly facilitating the playing and the selection of the proper keys on the keyboard.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an attachment of the character described which will prevent the shoulder straps from interfering with the movement of the bellows, which prevents a sliding of the keyboard along a players chest and shoulder, and which will protect the bellows from being wetted by the perspiration of a player and from frictional engagement with the player's chest, so as to prevent damage to the bellows.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an attachment of the character described which consists of a shoulder plate and adjustment means for preventing any unwanted horizontal movements of the keyboard relative to a players body, which can be adjusted easily and quickly without the use of any tools to fit the size and habits of a player, and which makes the playing less tiresome than if the accordion is supported by shoulder straps only.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an attachment of the character described which can be attached easily to any accordion, which is light in weight, simple in construction, and inexpensive to manufacture, but which is also sturdy, durable, of a pleasing outer appearance, and well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing a preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fractional sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fractional enlarged rear elevation;

preferred of the member Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed plan view of a disk; and,

Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed elevation 01' the disk of Figure 5.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing the numeral 2 denotes a first plate having a convex side and a concave side and being adapted for resting with its concave side against a shoulder and chest portion of accordion player. A second plate 3 is pivoted to a corner portion of plate 2 in such a manner that it can be moved relative thereto angularly in the same plane as said first plate as is indicated by dash-and-dotted lines in Fig. 1. The plates 2 and 3 can be made of aluminum, plastic material, or the like, and preferably are substantially triangular, and the plate 3 has two outwardly curved edge portions 4 and 6 rolled toward its convex side so that the plate 3 is formed similar to a fan blade. The plates 2 and 3 are joined by means of a rivet 5 or the like which extends through overlapping corner portions of said plates. Any suitable locking means, such as a resilient blade I secured to the plate 2 and in frictional engagement with a pin 8 secured to the plate 3, hold the plates 2 and 3 in the position shown in full lines. A lug portion l0 preferably is interposed between edge portions of the plate 2. The main portions of the plates 2 and 3 preferably are provided with perforations H and I2.

The first plate 2 is pivotally and tiltably secured to one portion 1 i of a hinge member !6, whose other portion i3 is secured to the back of the keyboard 2% of an accordion by means of screws 22 or the like (Figs. 1 and 2). While the hinge member !6 permits a swinging of the plate 2 in substantially horizontal directions relative to the accordion 24, I prefer to make the plate 2 also laterally and vertically movable relative to the accordion 24. I prefer to carry out this feature of my invention in the manner shown in the drawing where it will be seen that through the lug portion i8 and an adjacent section of the main portion of the plate 2 there is extended a swivel bolt 28 which also extends through a wedge-shaped disk as well as through a washer 32, and has a nut 34 screwed upon its threaded outer end portion. Any suitable swivel connection between the bolt 28 and the plate 2 can be used. In the instance shown the numeral 35 denotes a plug member having a substantially flat head portion resting against the concave side of saidfirst plate and a hollow portion extending through a corner portion of said first plate, and

one end of the bolt 23 extends portion and is pivotally of a cross-pin 38 the bolt 28 as well as into said hollow secured thereto by means 3), which extends throughthrough the hollow portion 36. Since the inner diameter of the said hollow portion is larger than the diameter of the bolt 28 the latter can swing angularly relative to the parts 2 and 35.

The washer 32 preferably is provided with a circular cavity 38 into which is inserted the nutv 34, and a handle 48 is pivotally secured to the nut 34. This arrangement permits a tightening or loosening of the nut 34 without the use of any tools, simply by swinging the handle 40 out of the cavity 38, as is indicated by dash-and-dotted lines in Figure 3, and by turning the handle 42 The disk 30 is knurled at its periphery, so that it can be turned conveniently after loosening the nut 34. By turning the disk 30 around the swivel bolt 28, the plate 2 can be moved in horizontal direction angularly relative to the hinge member I6, so that the plates 2 and 3 may be inclined more or less in the direction of the arrow 42 relative to the bellows 44 of the accordion 24 to a position which is most convenient for the player and most adapted to his chest and shoulder forms. The plates ,2 and 3 also can be moved vertically in or against the direction of the arrow 46 (Fig. 1) around the pin 28 and the rivet 5. After adjustment the nut 34 is tightened, in order to retain the various parts in the adjusted positions, and the handle 40 is reinserted into the cavity 38, so that it will not protrude beyond the nut 34. The hinge member I6 can be of any suitable construction and design. Preferably it is made of the two wire elements l6 and 18, which are joined pivotally by means of sleeve members 48, and the element It has a circular portion 58 which encompasses an annular groove on the peripheral portion of the washer 32.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.- A device of the character described comprising a substantially triangular first plate, a second plate tiltably secured to a first corner portion of said first plate being adapted for resting together with said first plate against a shoulder and chest portion of an accordion player, means for angular adjustment of said plate being attached to a second corner portion of said first plate, and a hinge member secured to said means for angular adjustment being mounted on the back of an accordion keyboard.

. 2. A device of the character described comprising a substantially triangular first plate having a convex side and a concave side and being adapted for resting with its concave side against a shoulder and chest portion of an accordion player, a second plate pivoted to said first plate in such a manner that it can be moved relative thereto angularly in the same plane as said first plate, a hinge member, a wedge-shaped circular member interposed between said hinge member and a corner portion of said first plate, and means for pivotally connecting said corner portion to said hinge member, a portion of said hinge member being adapted to be mounted on the back of an accordion keyboard.

3. A device of the character described comprising a substantially triangular first plate having a convex side and a concave side and being adapted for resting with its concave side against a shoulder and chest portion of an accordion player, a second plate pivoted to said first plate in such a manner that it can be moved relative thereto angularly in the same plane as said first plate, a plug member having a head portion resting against the concave side of said first plate and a hollow portion extending through a corner portion of said first plate, a bolt tiltably secured to said hollow portion, a wedge-shaped disk member through which said bolt is extended, and a hinge member one portion of which is secured to said bolt beyond said disk member while its other portion is adapted to be mounted on the back of an accordion keyboard.

4. A device of the character described comprising a substantially triangular first plate having a convex side and a concave side and being adapted for resting with its concave side against a shoulder and chest portion of an accordion player, a second plate pivoted to said first plate in such a manner that it can be moved relative thereto angularly in the same plane as said first plate,

a plug member having a substantially fiat head portion resting against the concave side of said first plate and a hollow portion extending through a corner portion of said first plate, a bolt having a threaded portion and extending into said hollow portion and being tiltably secured thereto, a wedge-shaped disk member having a hole which is of a larger diameter than the diameter of said bolt and through which said bolt is extended, a'

washer through which said bolt is extended resting with one side against said disk member, a

nut screwed upon said bolt at the other side of said washer, and a hinge member one portion of which is secured to said washer while its other portion is adapted to be mounted on the back of an accordion keyboard.

5. A device of the character described comprising a substantially triangular first plate having a convex side and a concave side and being adapted for resting with its concave side against a shoulder and chest portion of an accordion player, a second plate pivoted to said first plate in such a manner that it can be moved relative thereto angularly in the same plane as said first plate, a plug member having a substantially flat head portion resting against the concave side of said first plate and a hollow portion extendin through a corner portion of said first plate, a bolt having a threaded portion and extending into said hollow portion and being smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of said hollow portion, a cross-pin extending through said hollow portion as well as through said bolt tiltably securing the latter to the former, a wedge-shaped disk member being knurled at its periphery and having a hole which is of a larger diameter than the diameter of said bolt and through which said bolt is extended, a washer through which said bolt is extended resting with one side against said disk member, and having a cavity in its other side, a nut within said cavity screwed upon References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lllttbeg Oct. 18, 1938 Number 

